#travel #blog Trail-stained Fingers

You know, the wild gyrations in the #travel1k blog rankings are becoming a pattern;last week everything was correct and we were at #135 — but for the week of November 21st, wait, where’s my posts? And doooown to #630 Like a box of chocolates, as a great philosopher once said…

Hello, we’re Ankita and Mohit, an Indian couple who just can’t seem to get enough of airports. Together, we’ve been to over ten countries in the world and 17 states of India. We’re based in Bonn, Germany but we can feel at home just about anywhere in the world! We’re not exactly the same though. Mohit dies for roti sabzi while I’m all about dimsums and sushi. He loves people and I love my shell. His ideal day is spent playing a game of cricket and watching some TV. My ideal day would start with bird-watching and end with a good book and some wine. Still, we find middle ground in our love for the good life. We dig everything from food and wine to luxury resorts, travel gadgets, beauty, nature, wildlife and cultural/historical tourism.

There’s some interesting insights into India to be found here — for instance, did you know that Dubai is a popular destination for Indian bachelorette parties? We did not know that!

Whether it’s your own last dance on the wild side or your best friend’s, Dubai is one place you should definitely consider if a foreign locale is what you’re looking at. I never had a very high opinion of Dubai as a travel destination until I began listening to the stories of a colleague who trots over to Dubai every few months. We’d all wonder – what was it that she liked about Dubai so much? When this colleague’s friend recently organised an engagement party, guess where they headed? That’s right, to the land of Burj Khalifa, Atlantis and other glittering man-made marvels. So here are five reasons why Dubai can be a great venue for the next bachelorette party you organise.

It’s only 3-4 hours away from Mumbai/Delhi

That’s less than some of the locations within our own country! A foreign bachelorette party doesn’t get easier than this. What’s more, the visa process is also usually a breeze and can be done in a matter of days. I don’t know about you but it’s difficult for me to take more than a few days off at work. And if the travelling time itself is say 12 hours, that chips away a lot from the holiday. So Dubai is closer than a Thailand or Singapore even…

And of course travels within India. We’ve done pretty good there — 26 of the 35 states/regions that MTP counts India as, but here’s a report from one we haven’t make it to yet, Uttarkhand:

Over a starlit bonfire in the thick of Kaudia Forest at Kanatal, Uttarakhand, a naturalist of Nepali descent regaled us with tales from his army days. Blame it on the several glasses of the good stuff but a few of my co-travellers imagined that they’d seen the fiery eyes of a leopard a few feet into the darkness. The unknown enveloped us all around, kept at bay by the leaping flames of our camp fire but only just. Who knew, perhaps the sonorous voice of our young guitarist had touched a chord in some feral hearts as well. This unearthly experience was one of many, crafted by Ravi Malhotra, the MD of a boutique spa resort called The Terraces and his team, comprising mostly of locals.

The Himalayas are a far-off place for those of us who reside in the city of dreams, Mumbai. We must undertake the long and arduous journey to New Delhi and thereon to legendary places like Mussoorie, Manali and Dharamshala. Yet when I opened my bleary eyes to the mountain-ringed view at a chai stall in Dehradun, I knew that I would travel many times that distance to be treated to this…

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So if you’re interested in India travel, this is definitely a blog to be on your list; and they’re in Europe now, specifically Berlin — and looking at the recent posts, if you’re looking for Indian food in Berlin, this is certainly the blog you want to refer to!